The Republican journal., 1887-04-21
The Pilgrims Perilous Passage.

i II.
course Of publication in Forest and Stream. an
account is given of an cNcntfu sail last fall in
Pcno''-rot Bay. The party consisted of DR..
Wn>Iow a!.I his crew of one man. Mr.. and
Mrs. Frank Is. knowlton and Mrs. George \.
Qumhy. Of Belfast, and Mrs. G. T.. Wa,liin, of
Portland. Oregon. The Pilgrim cot underway
about a. NJ, and with Il northwest wind ran
down the western bay IS far As Great Spruce
Head, when the wind hauled TO the >outhard
and soon kicked up a sea. Sheets We're then
Stacked of and the yacht hauled for Spruce
Island. Near the shore the anchor was drop
ped and the party landed and had dinner.
What happened after getting underway again
is graphically told, as follows:
The wind had hauled back to the nor-nor'-
west and was dead ahead to Belfast. and we
had Il lively run along the I>lesDoro shore till
we opened out Belfast Bay. Then it was more
than lively. The wind was puffy and strong.
the tile ehh. tie sea heavy. and the Pilgrim
plunged her bow under and had her lee rail
buried very often.
When we had arrived abreast of Turtle
Head matters looked serious. 1t was nearly
sunset; the sky to wndward had streaks of
lead color in dark gray clouds that portenled
mischief; the wind and sea had become very
Windward. hut nearly every sea swept over The
bow, rolled along the lee rail and buried it Il
foot often coming UP to the top of the house
and upon the cock pit seat; the ladies We're
huddIetl in the cockpit and companionway. ron-
siGerablv frightened. though the one who wish
ed the rail put under preserved her Sdny fDtd,
and in answer to my inquiry if she was satis-
fled the rail had been under enough said: ''If
it is necessary to put it under few times more
in order to get home, have no particular OBJ
jections; but you need not do it any more just
for my personal pleasure. as l am abundantly
satisfied" The trouble was | could not help
putting it under now. and taking in the pros
pect of reein@ with a precious load and two
green hands in that troublesome sea. which
made it impossible for NE to leave the helm,
the increasing gale, the approach Of night. the
long beat to WindWard before a lee shore could
be reached, the prospect of sea, tide and lee
way sending us into the long lee blight upon the
LEFT si,le of Pcnob>cot Rivers the probability of
II dark. wild night out. with everybody wet,
cold and hungry, and the possibility that acci-
dent or exposure might hurt tho Sc dear to Us,
al these passed before my mind rapidly in my
anxiety to do the best thing for comfort and
safety. Mr.. knowlton was for keeping on to-
ward ScarSport already point on the weather
bow, and said he could get carriage there and
take the ladies home.
While discussing the possibility Of reaching
six miles to windwarl in such sea and blow
and tide with Staysail and recfcd main>ail. and
Charles was tying up the >tavSai, Il sea knock
ed the bow around three points. >tron. blast
of vindirtive wind struck the manSail, bend
inw the boom upward like Il iishpole, a sea
swept along the lee side, and the cutter carcer-
ed till bucket of water poured into the cock
pit. The gravity of this event may be under
stood by remembering there was 5000 lbs. of
keel and low-stowcd lead the cockpit was on
~ feet wide. and its staying was Gin. high
with a Gin. seat upon it. 1t was a fore
taste of what the night promised, and l knew
we were in for Il life and death struggle if we
| remained in that storm swept bay that night in
late September. | had made mistake in
| standing across the bay. | should have hug
gcd the left shore of the bay. where one inlet
would have given us Il little shelter. or we
| might have worked in smoother water into
| Belfast. 1t was too late now. The shore was
seen miles away and no easier reached than
| Scarsport, and, if we had reached it. ! doubt
| if our anchors would have held, as the night
| turned out its wrath upon everything afloat
What to do? Reef, get out drogue, or run t.
leeward for harbor! Reeting might be done
but then the long night of exposure and dan.
ger. \ drogue would break the sea. but we
| should drift either upon Il lee shore or ont tc
| sea. \ haven to leeward could he found he.
| The latter was too far. The outer buoy maSt
| bc sighted before dark to run into Casint
| safely. The bucket Of water decided the mat
ter. | drew the helm toward me and slackct
| off the main sheet, which was taut as steel
| The jib sent her around rapidly and she spran.
from sea to sea, rolling, roaring, Kissing. cut
ting, shcering. diving, soaring and dartins
| hithcr and thither, every motion full of grace
| and ease, but ever fiercelE onward as ii a grea
task was before her. The ladies recovere,
their yayety and poked their heads out to lool
at the wild scene and the wavc-la>hed rocks o1
| Turtle Head as we flew past.
A wave lifted the craft around and threw
| her quarteriny to the sea; the wind filled the
nlainsail with a savage blast, the cutter car
| eened to the top of the house, the water pour
| ed into the cockpit, and the main boom dippe,
half its length beneath the waves. The pres
| sure of wind was SO great that ii shot the Graf
| round an are and up into the wind in a mo
mcnt, though | helped the latter part of thu
movement by showing the helm hard down
| The change came so unexpectedly, so mVster
| ou>ly, furiously, that ] was alarmed.
never saw boat cut such caper; it SCENE,
as if BoreaS had come out of his northern
cave. picked up Pilgrim by the truck an,
twirlel her around by the mast. was carry
ing too much sail even for running, eager Il
make the buoy inside Dice's Head before dark
as TIC sun had set in gloom Something had t,
he done quickly. ordered the peak of thu
nlansail dropped and the end of the gaf fas
tened to the mast, and kept off again. This Iii,
not diminish her speed much, but she Wen
along much easier and stcered better White
caps and tumbling seas were all around US; TIN
flags and sundry running gear were trailing il
the water; the Staysails lay in il bunch lik
clothes for the laundry; the jib Slated frol:
side to side re>tlessly and fretfully; the boa
crept up to the stern and shot by Oh Il combe
till the painter checked and jerked her back
the cutter rolled and sped onward before th
gale; the ladies recognized the easier move
ments and absence of shower baths and locke,
pleased and smiling. Frank stood upon th
house, holding by back stay. taking in th
scene and wishing for an artist who coul,
u.int SIlph 81 uirturo. Charlie SAT hy the ma